Writeous Dude - Education Technology and Online Marketing Blog by Ben Piperhttp://www.writeousdude.com
Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:50:27 +0000en-UShourly1What are digital badges?http://www.writeousdude.com/education/what-are-digital-badges/
http://www.writeousdude.com/education/what-are-digital-badges/#commentsMon, 23 Mar 2015 13:50:27 +0000http://www.writeousdude.com/?p=555Whilst physical badges have been in use for many years to display accomplishments (I can still remember how pleased I was to get that 25 metre swimming one), digital badges have only recently come to prominence as part of a structured achievement system online. Just like a physical badge, a digital badge may be awarded […]

]]>Whilst physical badges have been in use for many years to display accomplishments (I can still remember how pleased I was to get that 25 metre swimming one), digital badges have only recently come to prominence as part of a structured achievement system online.

Just like a physical badge, a digital badge may be awarded to you for completing a course, passing a test or mastering a skill – the difference being that you achieved the accomplishment on the internet.

Example of a digital badge for mooc course on wireless technology from www.extremenetworks.com.

How do digital badges work?

Appearances can be deceptive! Digital badges are more than just an image file. Each badge contains meta data (data that describes other data) which explains why the digital badge was awarded. This meta data can include information on who issued the badge, what objective was achieved, the date it was awarded, the grade that was given and so on.

As an employer, this meta data provides you with an audit trail to confirm the authenticity of a learner’s qualification.

As a learner, this meta data gives you an accurate record of your qualification – helpful if you’ve forgotten when you completed a particular course or when you need to renew certain training.

How are digital badges issued?

Perhaps the most common digital badge platform is Mozilla Open Badges. The software is free and open for anyone to use meaning that any organisation can create, issue and verify digital badges and any learner can collect, manage and show their digital badges across the web; for example on a social media profile or job board.

Once an Open Badge is issued by an organisation a learner can add it to their backpack (their online account) from where it can be made public or private.

The meta data of an Open Badge cannot be changed (it is coded into the badge) so badges cannot be transferred between learners or manipulated to show a different grade.

What are the positives of using digital badges?

Digital badges have risen to prominence with the gamification of learning – the idea that computer game design and mechanics can be used to improve the learning experience (maximising enjoyment and engagement). Here are a few of the positives:

They are a great way to motivate learners by recognising participation. They can help to create connections between learners, reinforcing the desire to learn through community approval.

They are a great way to reward learners. Studies from computer games have shown the importance of feedback to improving a players’ likelihood of continuing to play and achieving a higher score. By awarding badges throughout the learner journey, learners can enjoy mini rewards and feel good about their progress, giving them a stronger reason to continue.

They are a great way to recognise lifelong learning. The importance of soft skills (communication, leadership, relationship building) and vocational skills (training for the job) are often overlooked compared to the status of a degree or masters qualification (usually studied at the start of a career). What better way to highlight the value of bite-size learning than by giving recognition of it.

What are the negatives of using digital badges?

Digital badges have already come in for their fair share of criticism – especially for rewarding achievements that have low or little value (for checking into a nightclub or writing an online review) and for being awarded sight unseen (did you really sit that online test yourself or did your friend do it?) Here are a few of the negatives:

Is learning about the accumulation of knowledge or the accumulation of badges? How do you judge the value of a badge if everyone has it? How do you judge a learner if they have 500 badges to their name? Will they become so ubiquitous as to become meaningless?

Can they ever be trusted credentials? If most of the badges issued only recognise small achievements, or are accredited by worthless organisations, does it fatally undermine the concept straight away?

Will they be open to fraud? People have faked physical degree certificates before now, how hard can it be to fake an online badge?

What does the future hold for digital badges?

Badges were popular long before modern technology and the fact they are still around is testament to their robustness as a reward for accomplishment. Everyone wants to show off what they’ve achieved. Everyone likes positive feedback about their progress.

For digital badges to succeed it is crucial that are well designed and easily authenticated. Platforms like Mozilla Open Badges and Pearson’s Acclaim are making it easy for learners and organisations to connect with each other. Once a few big organisations start to use them for staff training, and a few respectable institutions being to award them to learners, then we might see the tipping point where they are more widely accepted.

They probably won’t spell the death knell for physical certificates but I can see them becoming a common way to show the world what additional qualifications you have online. Passed your Level 3 Food Hygiene course? Great, here’s an official certificate for your employer and a digital badge for your LinkedIn profile. Can’t remember what grade you got for the gamification module of your marketing degree? Check the badge in your Mozilla backpack. Want to motivate your staff to complete the compulsory data protection training… okay, that might take more than a fancy looking badge but you get the idea!

Other articles about digital badges

I’ve only scratched the surface in this blog post. If you would like to read more about digital badges, I recommend checking out some of the posts below.

]]>http://www.writeousdude.com/education/what-are-digital-badges/feed/0Are MOOCs the future of professional development?http://www.writeousdude.com/education/are-moocs-the-future-of-professional-development/
http://www.writeousdude.com/education/are-moocs-the-future-of-professional-development/#commentsMon, 26 May 2014 16:54:07 +0000http://www.writeousdude.com/?p=509Professional development and adult learning took an interesting step this month with the launch of Qualt, the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform for entry-level professional training courses. I’ve found this interesting on a personal level for a couple of reasons: one – I work in higher education for an online learning provider and […]

]]>Professional development and adult learning took an interesting step this month with the launch of Qualt, the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform for entry-level professional training courses.

I’ve found this interesting on a personal level for a couple of reasons: one – I work in higher education for an online learning provider and have been watching the evolution of MOOC’s with interest, and two – I recently completed the Google Squared Online programme (delivered 100% online) and see that it is one of the first choices to be made available as a taster course.

I was reading a report by Columbia University just a few days ago that examined the impact of MOOCs on educational participation since the first ones appeared around three years ago. The idea of democratising higher education is a noble one, but are the people who are taking advantage of MOOCs the adult learners who have been bypassed by more traditional methods of study?

According to the Columbia findings (based on interviews with individuals across the MOOC-sphere) to date “most MOOC participants are already well-educated and employed.” Consequently, “the evidence suggests that MOOCs currently are falling far short of ‘democratizing’ education and may, for now, be doing more to increase gaps in access to education than to diminish them.”

It’s no secret that universities and other higher education institutions have really been struggling to know what to do with MOOCs. Every online course (even one with no ongoing assessment of student work) has a significant sunk cost in terms of time taken to set up, let alone money. Then you have to give it away for free!

On the other hand, the carrot of enticing people to give higher education a try (and maybe enrolling on a fee-paying course later) has had some faculty heads reading the technology pages with interest. However, if those ‘new students’ are already graduates refreshing their knowledge or highly educated professionals taking a hobbyist course who can take it or leave it, the argument that MOOCs will have a commercial viability further down the line would appear to be weakening.

For me, the Qualt MOOC model is perhaps the first I’ve seen which might just square this circle (participation of hard to reach learners / recognised qualification at the end / brand awareness / commercial viability). A skills gap has emerged in many industries and it will be interesting to see if this new platform really can help adults develop their careers with entry-level training. If accrediting bodies can be brought in to help develop the programmes (AAT and IDM are early adopters), and study really as flexible as downloading a mobile app, then there may come a tipping point where free short courses are seen as the normal way to begin any professional training.

For course providers, the MOOC aim of brand awareness and revenue generation as students move on to study full, fee-paying qualifications might be about to become a reality.